Brady's reworked deal helps Patriots

There's nothing unusual about one of the game's best quarterbacks and leaders being coveted by his team. Or being rewarded.

What's rare is how well the three-year extension works for both Brady and for New England.

The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player did not really take a pay cut with this new deal. It might sound that way with salaries of $7 million in 2015, $8 million the next year and $9 million in 2017, far below the going rate for superstar QBs.

But Brady gets a $30 million signing bonus and $57 million overall in a contract that will run through the 2017 season. And New England gets space under the salary cap to spend on top free agents.